Piles or Hemorrhoids: Causes & Symptoms

Piles, also called hemorrhoids, is a disease that results into swelling of veins around anus and rectum. These cause irritation during bowel movements, causing pain and bleeding during excretion. If not treated timely, the veins near the rectum or the anus may rupture during strained bowel movements and thus become the cause of bleeding with the stool. Piles is very painful for the patient and has a very disruptive effect on their lives.

What causes Piles or Hemorrhoids?

There may be many reasons for piles or hemorrhoids which may vary from patient to patient, such as:

Chronic Constipation: People suffering from chronic constipation due to gastrointestinal problems may also suffer from piles as they constantly put pressure on rectum and anus to relieve themselves.

Straining during excretion - This is a most common reason for piles where a person forcefully try to pass stool, resulting in irritation on the veins or even causing them to rupture.

Pregnancy – Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes in the body and the strain may also result in piles.

Heavy weight or strenuous workouts: This can also put physical stress on the anus or rectum and cause swollen veins, which may then rupture during passage of stool.

How do you know if you have Piles?

Some of the symptoms of piles or hemorrhoids are:

Painful bowel movements, which hurt the rectum or the anus.

Bleeding or seeping of a bright red color blood onto the stool

A mucus like discharge from the anus

A painful swelling or lump near the anus

Itching in the anal areas, which may be continuous or intermittent

Piles is painful, literally! Whatever may be the reason, but if there is pain in the rectal area, it is best to get it examined by a doctor without delay.